Maxwell Motor Company

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Co.
Standard Motor Co.
Maxwell Motor Co.

logo
legal form Corporation
subsidiary
founding 1904
resolution June 6, 1925
Reason for dissolution Reorganization as Chrysler Motor Corporation
Seat Tarrytown , New York ; Detroit , Michigan ( USA )
management Benjamin Briscoe
Jonathan Dixon Maxwell
Walter Flanders
Walter P. Chrysler
Branch Automobile manufacturer , commercial vehicle manufacturer

The Maxwell Motor Company was an American automobile manufacturer that produced automobiles from 1904 to 1925.

history

Benjamin Briscoe

Benjamin Briscoe

Benjamin Briscoe (1867–1945) was already a wealthy entrepreneur when he founded a company with Jonathan Maxwell. He had previously founded Benjamin Briscoe & Co. , a metal stamping plant that became the American Can Company . Later he invented a pipe bending process, which he also used industrially. Briscoe took over the years unprofitable Buick Motor Company in 1901 , which he sold in 1904 to the carriage manufacturer James H. Whiting (1842-1919), the owner of the Flint Wagon Works . He invested the proceeds in the joint venture with Jonathan Maxwell.

Jonathan D. Maxwell

Jonathan Dixon Maxwell (1864–1928) worked as a bicycle mechanic in Elmer Apperson's workshop and in 1894 was involved in building the automobile for the Apperson brothers for Elwood Haynes . Their cooperation resulted in one of the first commercial automobile manufacturers with the Haynes-Apperson Company . Maxwell then worked for the Olds Motor Works . He worked on the design of the single cylinder engine in the hugely successful Oldsmobile Curved Dash . In 1902 he founded with Charles Brady King (1868–1957), whom he knew from his work for Oldsmobile, the Northern Manufacturing Company in Detroit. There King performed the function of chief engineer, Maxwell was the operations manager. In 1903 he invented thermosiphon cooling , which was widely used. In 1904 he separated from King and entered into a new business partnership with Benjamin Briscoe.

Maxwell-Briscoe Company

emblem
Maxwell Mascotte Touring (1911)
Maxwell Model 25-4 Touring (1913)
Maxwell advert from 1922

The company began in 1904 as the Maxwell-Briscoe Company in Tarrytown , New York . The company was named after its founders. Investors included JP Morgan , who contributed two-thirds of the original share capital of $ 150,000. Ironically, Briscoe's motive for starting the company was his suspicion of losing faith in an investment in Buick of his own. The company's first domicile was in the facilities of the former steam car maker Mobile Company of America .

The new Maxwell , designed by Jonathan Maxwell, was an instant success, with 542 vehicles sold in the first six months. The vehicle had a front-mounted two-cylinder engine, the cooling system of which included a modern honeycomb cooler and thermosiphon circuit. Other modern features were the two-speed planetary gearbox and power transmission via cardan shaft . The company flourished; in 1905 a second plant was opened in Pawtrucket (Rhode Island) ; another followed in Chicago in 1906 . The largest new plants were built in New Castle (Delaware) in 1907 , and were put into operation before the construction work was completely completed. This plant remained in operation at Chrysler until 2002.

Maxwell was the only profitable company of the United States Motor Company, founded in 1910 . However, due to a conflict between two of its shareholders, the company failed in 1913.

In 1913, the Maxwell assets were purchased by Walter Flanders, who reorganized the company as Maxwell Motor Company, Inc. , but had a branch in Dayton , Ohio . For a while, Maxwell was among the top three vehicle manufacturers in the United States, alongside Buick and Ford Motor Company .

The growth of Maxwell, however, was too strong, the company too much debt, and half of the production capacity was in recession after the First World War not be used. From 1918 the Renault FT tank was built under license at the Dayton plant. In 1921 Walter Percy Chrysler was able to take over a controlling stake in Maxwell. The company was founded in West Virginia ; Chrysler became CEO. Around the same time, the merger with the ailing vehicle manufacturer Chalmers was operated; Chalmers production stopped in 1923.

In 1925, Walter Chrysler founded the Chrysler Motor Corporation . The Maxwell car brand expired; Maxwell's assets were incorporated into Chrysler. The design of the Maxwells was incorporated into Chrysler's four-cylinder motor vehicles, which were newly introduced in 1926 . 1928 saw another revision, the first Plymouth models.

Models

model Model years * cylinder power wheelbase
Model L 1905 2 cyl. 12 bhp (8.8 kW) 1828 mm
Model H. 1905 2 cyl. 16 bhp (11.8 kW) 2235 mm
Model L 1906 2 cyl. 10 bhp (7.4 kW) 1828 mm
Model S 1906 2 cyl. 10 bhp (7.4 kW) 1828 mm
Model N 1906 2 cyl. 20 bhp (14.7 kW) 2159 mm
Model H. 1906 2 cyl. 20 bhp (14.7 kW) 2159 mm
Model M 1906-1907 4 cyl. 40 bhp (29 kW) 2642 mm
Model R 1907 2 cyl. 12 bhp (8.8 kW) 1829 mm
HB model 1907 2 cyl. 20 bhp (14.7 kW) 2184 mm
Model LC 1908 2 cyl. 14 bhp (10.3 kW) 1829 mm
Model K 1908 4 cyl. 22 bhp (16.2 kW) 2470 mm
Model D 1908 4 cyl. 22 bhp (16.2 kW) 2470 mm
HC model 1908 2 cyl. 20 bhp (14.7 kW) 2286 mm
Model M 1908 4 cyl. 40 bhp (29 kW) 2896 mm
Model a 1909 2 cyl. 10 bhp (7.4 kW) 2083 mm
LD model 1909 2 cyl. 14 bhp (10.3 kW) 2134 mm
HD model 1909 2 cyl. 20 bhp (14.7 kW) 2438 mm
Model DA 1909 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2642 mm
Model KA 1909 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2642 mm
Model AA 1910-1911 2 cyl. 12 bhp (8.8 kW) 2184 mm
Model Q 1910-1911 4 cyl. 22 bhp (16.2 kW) 2362 mm
Model E. 1910 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2794 mm
Model G 1910 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2794 mm
Model I. 1911 4 cyl. 25 bhp (18.4 kW) 2642 mm
Model EA 1911 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2794 mm
Model GA 1911 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2794 mm
Messenger 1912 2 cyl. 16 bhp (11.8 kW) 2184 mm
Mascotte 1912 4 cyl. 25 bhp (18.4 kW) 2642 mm
Mercury 1912 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2794 mm
Special 1912 4 cyl. 36 bhp (26.5 kW) 2896 mm
Model 22 1913 4 cyl. 22.5 bhp (16.5 kW) 2362 mm
Model 30 1913 4 cyl. 30 bhp (22 kW) 2819 mm
Model 40 1913 4 cyl. 40 bhp (29 kW) 2921 mm
Six-38.4 1913 6 cyl. 38.4 bhp (28.2 kW) 3302 mm
Six-31.54 1913 6 cyl. 31.54 bhp (23.2 kW) 2997 mm
Model 25-4 1914 4 cyl. 21 bhp (15.4 kW) 2616 mm
Model 35-4 1914 4 cyl. 26 bhp (19.1 kW) 2794 mm
Model 50-6 1914 6 cyl. 41 bhp (30 kW) 3302 mm
Model 25 1915-1919 4 cyl. 21 bhp (15.4 kW) 2734 mm
Model 25 1920-1924 4 cyl. 34 bhp (25 kW) 2769 mm
Model 25 C 1925 4 cyl. 38 bhp (28 kW) 2769 mm
  • = The model year always begins in September of the previous calendar year.

literature

  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Ed.), Henry Austin Clark Jr. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942 (Second Edition). Krause Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-87341-111-0 .
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (ed.), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1996; ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9 .
  • GN Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. 2nd Edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 .
  • GN Georgano (Ed.), G. Marshall Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles ; MBI Motor Books International, Osceola WI, 1979; ISBN 0-87341-024-6 .
  • Vincent Curcio: Chrysler: The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius. (First edition, 2000). Oxford University Press; ISBN 0-195-14705-7 .
  • George H. Dammann: 70 Years of Chrysler. Crestline Publishing Co., Glen Ellyn IL, Crestline Series , Osceola WI, 1974; ISBN 0-912612-06-1 .
  • Spence Murray (Ed.): Complete Book of Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler. Petersen Publishing Co., Los Angeles, 1977; ISBN 0-8227-5008-2 . Partial coverage of Chalmers, DeSoto, Maxwell and Willys-Overland

Web links

Commons : Maxwell  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ americanautohistory.com: Pioneers: Jonathan Dixon Maxwell (1864-1928) .
  2. ↑ allpar.com: Maxwell: First Builder of Chrysler Cars.
  3. ↑ allpar.com: Maxwell - Chrysler New Castle Plant.
  4. ^ Benedict Crowell: America's Munitions 1917-1918 . Government Printing Office, Washington 1919, p. 156 ( Digitizedhttp: //vorlage_digitalisat.test/1%3D~GB%3D~IA%3Dcu31924030744068~MDZ%3D%0A~SZ%3Dn225~ double-sided%3D~LT%3D~PUR%3D - report by US Secretary of War Benedict Crowell).